This interview focuses on Bahmanbeigi writings while his other activities are mentioned very briefly. Bahmanbeigi is first asked about his writing experiences from when he was working on "Preface to Hamidi’s Book of Poems “ to the period he was writing his book “ Bokhara – My Tribe” as well as why he has not written anything in this long period of time.

Bahmanbeigi discusses his full-time engagement in tribal education affairs and his directorship position. Later, he is asked about the process through which the ideas of his stories are formed and he mentions some of the influences he has benefited from, including some of Sadeq Hedayat's short stories such as Sag-e-Velgard (The Stray Dog), Sadeq Choobak, Jamalzade, and Ali Dashti's studies. He also names some foreign authors he has been influenced by, namely, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov, Guy de Maupassant, Andre Gide, Roman Rolland, Mark Twain, Hemingway, and O' Henry. He also admits the influences of "Sokhan Magazine" on his prose and explains his fascination with this publication. Although he admits the importance of these influences, he rejects the possibility of imitation on his side.

In the interview, Bahmanbeigi accentuates that, to him, literature is a means of conveying a moral and social message and also defends his language choice in his books mentioning that Farsi is a unifying element of the nation. The interviewer states some of the criticisms on Bahmanbeigi's works and he mentions a number of points in response. The next question is about the obstacles he came across during the years he was engaged with tribal education issues. Mentioning a number of obstacles ,for instance, revolt of the nomadic population, lack of facilities and resources, Bahmanbeigi explains the strategies he enforced to solve those issues. The next question concerns the application of his writings in social studies. Responding to the question, he mentions his efforts to comprise tribal culture and customs in his stories so that wit and relish would be added to these serious matters.

Bahmanbeigi also mentions his intellectual friends; Hamidi Shirazi and Fereydoon Tavalali, and praises their legacy. The interviewer enquires his view on the current trends of story writing in Iran and Bahmanbeigi urges his disbelief in this trend and its weaknesses arguing the bombast and haste on the writers' side and the ambiguity of the writings through which forms overweighs content in this literature. Bahmanbeigi highly emphasizes "proper writing" and, eventually, mentions his plans to prepare a comprehensive booklet on nomadic education in the future.

Having acknowledged Bahmanbeigi's background in nomadic education, the interviewer enquires Bahmanbeigi's intentions of starting writing. Mentioning his writing backgrounds, Bahmanbeigi narrates his life from the very beginning. He points out his elementary education and the hardships of exile and depicts his high school and university days to the readers. This takes him to his greatest interest; literature and writing. He discusses one of his writing experiences which was a preface to Mehdi Hamidi Shirazi's book of poems "Ashk-e-Mashooq" (The Tear of the Beloved), as well as the issue of his first book "Orf va Adat dar Ashayer-e- Fars" (A Monogragh on Social Habits of Nomads). He also mentions the admirations that his book received by great figures such as Sadeq Hedayad and Karim Keshavarz.

After his first book, he fully engages himself in nomadic education. He points out that he considers teaching the Farsi language as an honor for himself and that he feels proud of the quality the tribes were taught this language.

Later in the interview, Bahmanbeigi is asked a question regarding his inspirations when writing "Bokhara-e-Man, Il-e-Man" (Bokhara, My Tribe) and he mentions his teacher's ,Hamidi Shirazi, encouragements which inspired him to pursue writing. Being unemployed after the 1978 revolution, he finds plenty of time for writing and reading which resulted in the issue of "Bokhara-e-Man, Il-e-Man". He also mentions his third or fourth story, "Al", which he wrote in those years and left Bozorg Alavi in tears after reading it.

Afterward, a question is asked regarding Bahmanbeigi's association with Sadeq Hedayat and he, praising the distinguished character of Hedayat, Bahmanbeigi talks about attending his circle. Yet, he does not see any similarities between his works and Hedayat's. Later, he mentions Nima Yushij's "Afsaneh" (Myth) and the influence he has got from this work calling it a "masterpiece". The next question concerns his trip to the US and observing the Indigenous' education. He responds the he did not gain anything from this experience since the level of his nomadic education in Iran had been more efficient and fruitful than what he observed in the US.

Later in the interview, Bahmanbeigi expresses his interest in Saadi's prose as well Jamalzadeh's calling himself a "passionate lover of Hafiz and Saadi". He has a positive view about Naderpour and Moshiri and he talks about the tears he has shed reading a couple of Foroogh Farokhzad's poems.

Eventually he is asked about his favorite story writers and he mentions Ahmad Mahmoud while admiring Sadeq Hedayat's "Sag-e-Velgard" (The Stray Dog) and a number of stories by Sadeq Choobak.

A highlight of what Bahmanbeigi had done and how he had lived, including teaching literacy to a number of 500 thousand people under difficult circumstances is initially presented. The first question concerns Bahmanbeigi's basic biographical details and after talking about his educational background, other parts of his life are talked about. He is asked about the first things his first teacher taught him; he mentions Farsi, geometry, and arithmetic. The interview proceeds to an adventurous phase of his life, his father's exile followed by his mother and himself. Despite the hard conditions of exile and the hostile conduct of officers, he found the opportunity of attending school and getting educated. Vali Abad Elementary School in Tehran was the school he had taken the placement test and was registered in the fifth grade of elementary school.

The interviewer, then, asks about his political activities after getting his bachelor's degree in Law. He explains that how the Qashqai population was pro-Germany and anti-Britain. After the decease of Reza Shah Pahlavi, those who had been exiled, including his father, were released. However, Bahmanbeigi did not leave Tehran and got employed by Melli Bank. Later, he was offered the position of assistant prosecutor of Saveh which he rejected since he deemed the position to be "meaningless" for him. Therefore, he returned to his tribe and stayed there for a period before travelling to the US which did not take long due to his homesickness.

Bahmanbeigi is asked about the nomadic educational program and he explains that the program was begun by teaching his illiterate relatives and acquaintances followed by recruiting teachers with the financial assistance of wealthy ones of the tribe to educate a limited number of children. All these achievements were made while Bahmanbeigi's request to receive governmental aids had been rejected. Eventually, with the help and persistence of Fars Office of Culture and its director, Dr. Karim Fatemi, the government decided to accept Bahmanbeigi as an employee.

He invited a number of officials of Plan and Budget Organization that they would observe his accomplishments and success. A plan which worked as he expected and a higher budget was contributed to Bahmanbeigi's program and helped him expand his activities and establish the nomadic high school as well as the college. The interview asks whether the raise in quantity harmed the quality of education and he responds that the quality was still considerably high in a way that it did not lack anything comparing to high schools in the capital.

Afterwards, he mentions Farzad brothers and how Hooman Farzad, who was affliated with the Germans, came to observe the tribe. While talking about an observational foreign team, he points out a huge weakness of Shah's administration which could be found in Sepah Danesh[1] and Urban& Rural Cooperatives; in his opinion, both these plans caused several losses and failures since those in charge were not competent and released false reports to their superiors.

The next question concerns Jalal Al-e-Ahmad and his acquaintance with Bahmanbeigi; He mentions his conversation with Al-e-Ahmad by which their separate views and scopes can be clearly understood. Jalal had requested Bahmanbeigi to take him to the tribe which was refused reasoning that Jalal, who was openly opposed the governing administration, would write in favor of the educational program and, therefore, the government might cut the program's funding. At the end of the interview, Bahmanbeigi's proposal in a Society for the Appreciation of Cultural works and Dignitaries' meeting concerning the transformation of the philosophy of education is discussed and he states his arguments.

[1] An educational institute founded by Mohammad Reza Shah and his PM, Asadollah Alam

The official website of Mohammad Bahmanbeigi
(The Founder od Iran's Nomadic education)